Becoming an innovator

When your great idea becomes a business opportunity, you could say you’ve become a real-life innovator.

This journey may take several years, but it can still end up in a multi-million pound business – as young innovator Matthew Stevenson knows only too well.

From passion to profession

Matthew was about nine when he first started to keep fish. Over the years, his hobby grew into a passion – and eventually a great career.

After school, Matthew studied Product Design, Innovation and Marketing at Derby University, and when it came to his final year, he decided to work on something he really enjoyed – keeping fish. This laid the groundwork for his innovation; the biOrb^® fish tank.

After university, Matthew decided to start his own company. One product idea seemed very attractive to the public; a reinvention of the traditional goldfish bowl that takes account of the wellbeing of the fish and the needs of the keeper. This eventually became the biOrb^®; one of the biggest brands in the aquatic industry with an annual turnover of around £4 million.

From good idea to right idea

One of the things Matthew got right was his market. He bothered to find out which of his good ideas the public wanted, and this has played a major part in his success.

Cracking the market and finding people who actually want to buy your innovation is vital. It’s no good thinking of something new if no one is interested; that might just be the reason why it’s never been done before…